“We have to identify what people need and employ our knowledge for fulfilling those needs. We would rather have good reputation than a mere representation everywhere.” Excerpts from Arabian Watches & Jewellery Magazine interview with Wilhelm Schmid Managing Director (CEO) - A. Lange & Sohne
You are here today to reveal the fifth edition of the family Zeitwerk that was introduced in 2010, the Zeitwerk Honeygold “Lumen”. You clearly stated that this edition is unique in three ways. Can you please elaborate?
First of all, let us start from the very obvious, the use of the color dial combination that we have not used before. This is a combination of the sapphire crystal, the typical Lumen execution, and base on the honey gold case, and that is the first unusual thing. The second is that is not just an old movement or an existing movement with a new color case combination, but actually a brand new movement. The third is quite unique for us in that we started a new movement with the limited edition because usually one would expect that if we have a new movement it goes in to the normal production and the limited edition comes later. This time we decided to surprise everybody with these three different approaches.
Since its launch in 2009-2010, the Zeitwerk family form A Lange & Sohne was first referred to as a new classical approach to tell time, then moving up to a more modern - analogue approach. Furthermore with the current Lumen edition we tend to see more of a sporty modern approach. How would you explain this?
To be honest I’m not sure if to be sporty was first in our mind. The minute repeater is not really contemporary, it is not really sporty. We always say that if you have a very strong design and you want to develop without changing the original design it poses huge challenges. It was challenging for Lange 1 watch to show a perpetual calendar. You have to redefine the function of the perpetual calendar and come up with a solution that was not there before. To display time digitally but fully mechanically and not to make it slow but spontaneously jumping was something new. It is clear this is a very contemporary concept because usually you associate digital display with digital watches and not with mechanical watches. Thus, it already began with a contradiction and then over time that contradiction became traditional. When Lange 1 was launched it was very unusual with all the centralized dials and the outside date, but today we look at it as a classic with all the differences. Features like the striking time, the date, the minute repeater and the decimal strike make it look like a tie back that was over 11 or 12 years and create the expression that this is a classical watch. The moment you touch the case, the Lumen or sapphire crystal, you will tell it is real sporty but it is not. It is the same watch as before but just a different design.
With the new Zeitwerk Caliber L043.9 you managed to empower the watch with several features such as 72 hours Power Reserve – twice as before- reducing the power consumption and allowing the hour indication to be switched separately. What was the major innovation introduced to this caliber to secure these enhancements?
Let’s start from the beginning. There is a good reason that you do not see these complications in the market other than from us and the simple reason is that working with lot of power in a movement is a huge challenge. I’m sure you see these features where we compare a normal mainspring with the mainspring we use and then the first thing you have in your mind will be that it is like comparing a car and a truck based on the proportion. As we launched the Zeitwerk watch in 2009 and then went through all these different directions we learned a lot along the way. Because we listen to our customers keenly we left the design untouched but came with a new movement. We have to identify what people need and employ our knowledge for fulfilling those needs. We knew that 36 hours of power reserve is a little less for most people and we can’t do anything different with the minute repeater. Now we have 72 Hours of power reserve which means if you leave the watch on the table on Friday it will have enough power to work till Monday. I was wearing a Zeitwerk watch for quite some time and I realize adjusting a time, even it’s the same thing you do with the hand, takes longer. What we learned we brought into the next watch power reserve, adjustment, security and we even changed the mechanism on how to advance the disk and the hours. We have learned a lot and all these learning we will use to develop the movement.
It’s a yearly ritual for A Lange & Sohne to reveal its unique HONEYGOLD material. Why this year the Zeitwerk case was selected?
We just wanted to come up with something we have never done before for this specific watch. We wanted to look very different from the original Zeitwerk and on purpose we wanted this watch to be different. We do not want to just make it a little bigger and better power reserve and so on but still looking the same, so deliberately we selected the Honeygold material which is different from the platinum we used in the first place.
Lange1 incorporated several complications in the past years, Chronograph, Tourbillion and recently the perpetual calendar on 150 limited editions. Were the moon phase complications always expected in Lange 1?
It is a good example that shows what we learn and then whatever we learn we bring from one movement to another. The idea to use the moon phase as the day night indication originated from the typical Lange 1 moon phase, the traditional Lange 1 moon phase which is the first watch to carry that specific function. As we developed the Lange 1 perpetual calendar there was always the need for us to make its dial as clean as possible, but we also knew that you have all these functions to set the watch properly. We can eliminate one indication by using the Lange 1 moon phase day night indication to perpetual calendar. So, we started there and we took what we learned from Lange 1 perpetual tourbillon plus the Lange 1 moon phase and made that one a new caliber.
Is the iconic Lange1 all about simplicity, classic in readability of the dial?
Not really. As long as you look at these watches, and I think that is the case regardless of whether you are looking the Lange 1 time zone to tourbillon or even the perpetual calendar tourbillon, at the first glance it will clearly look like Lange 1 only. If you spend a little time looking it will appear different. First you will see the centralized dial where you can reach the time and date immediately. We believe that reading the time and the date immediately is the priority, and that is all about it.
Double split was presented in 2004, triple split in 2018. How soon shall we expect the quarter split?
It is very unlikely that we are going to do that. The future is a very long period, we don’t know what all can be in the pipeline and to be honest the quarter split is a monster to work on. It is a beast for a watchmaker and the customers are very happy with what they have now. As for the second alteration, the pink gold with a blue dial, I don’t think there is a reason to go for a new indication which will count days.
Do we expect more releases during Q4 of this year? Especially about the Lange Odysseus?
We’ll see.
Ladies watches and genderless! What is the strategy of the brand concerning the ladies/genderless approach?
We just produce A Lange & Sohne watches and who am I to say that it is for men or women. I think it is for collectors and that include both sexes. I strongly believe that there are watches you can’t wear because the wrist is too small and then there are watches that would look at least a little strange if it too small and it has to be part of you. And there are men and women of different stature, small, big, slim, and fat, and we are designing and developing watches for everyone. What we do is we produce watches within the design language of each family in line with A. Lange & Sohne and whoever is going to buy it is more than welcome to do so.
Do you still assemble your movement/watch twice, despite the applied and advanced technology?
Why change something which obviously is working so well, and we all know robots usually are a lot swifter and safer than us human beings. It is a challenge for humans to make these watches that’s one of the reasons why people buy our watches. We will not change that by taking shortcuts and the double assembly has proven adequate to ensure the esthetic and technical functionality for our clients.
How do you describe the brand’s performance in the Middle East and in particularly in KSA?
We do have a boutique in Saudi Arabia in Riyadh Al Faisaliah mall. I think what we realized is a very important message. Producing five and half thousand watches a year, we mustn’t be everywhere because wherever we open there should be enough watches on display. We would rather have good reputation than a mere representation everywhere. In the Middle East you can’t be everywhere, and we don’t want to be everywhere. We are very happy with the footprint we have here in Dubai. We are working in Saudi Arabia and I am sure there are some other important countries that we are keen about, but as we can only slowly grow out of the manufactory we have to be careful with expanding our distribution network. If we open something and can’t deliver that’s a negative signal for our partners, for the customers and for ourselves.
How do you see e-commerce developing? How is A Lange & Sohne benefiting from it? Also, what are your ideas on sustainability?
I see that e-commerce is here forever. We are prepared for it but as it is not a demand from our customers, we are not doing it right now. I believe that marketing is one thing which has changed dramatically due to the Covid 19 pandemic. People suddenly could not do what they loved like going to the boutique, going to events, going to exhibitions and the like and this has changed habits and preferences. For me whether we go the e-commerce way, do it through a call center or opt for remote selling depends on the needs of our customers. We still see that the moment the restrictions are removed, and the situation normalizes there will be a huge appetite to do what we had been doing before. I think the future will be a hybrid where we learn to accept the convenience of the digital system and at the same time also appreciate the personal interaction. I am sure the future will be a healthy combination of both.
Sustainability for us is more than just a word. In 2015 we opened our new manufactory, and a huge part of our investment are actually on the ground. We use electricity optimally and practice energy conservation by resorting to sustainable energy sources. We have our watchmaker’s school, where we not only develop sustainability concepts but also impart the knowledge to the generation next without which sustainability has no meaning. Here we revive the fine art that has always been associated with watch making such as using materials like enamel, engraving, polishing and finishing techniques etc. that would otherwise be lost forever. We don’t use cheap industry technologies because we are not sure how sustainable they are. Sustainability for me is a lot more than using crypto currency for transaction. Sustainability is a concept which is important and legitimate for a company whose products will survive the owners and ensure the most environmentally friendly way to carry on their business.
